Zakat — quick answers
What counts as zakatable wealth?
Cash, bank balances, gold and silver (including jewellery, by the majority view), stocks and mutual funds, business inventory and trade goods, and money owed to you that you expect to recover. Your home, personal car, furniture, and clothes you use are not zakatable.
Gold or silver nisab — which should I use?
Both are classical positions, but the silver nisab is much lower, so it is the cautious choice: nobody underpays by using it. Most Hanafi scholars recommend the silver nisab.
What is the 2.5% rule?
Once your zakatable wealth (after deducting debts) stays at or above nisab for one lunar year (hawl, ≈354 days), you pay 2.5% of the net zakatable amount.
Do I pay zakat on jewellery I wear?
The majority view (including Hanafi) is yes — gold and silver jewellery is zakatable regardless of personal use. Some scholars exempt worn jewellery; when in doubt, paying is the safer position.
What about stocks and crypto?
Stocks held as investment are zakatable at market value in this simplified calculator. Purification of non-compliant income and detailed stock screening need the dedicated stocks tool we're building next. Crypto is treated like a trade asset by many contemporary scholars — include its market value.
Can I deduct all my debts?
Deduct debts that are due or payable now. Long-term debts (like a mortgage) are handled differently by scholars — the common approach is to deduct only the upcoming year's instalments, or the full amount per the Hanafi view. Ask a scholar for your situation.
Do I pay zakat on money I lent to someone?
Yes, if you expect it back — enter it under "Money owed to you" and this calculator counts it at 2.5%. The schools differ on when you pay it. Hanafi: zakat builds up each year, but you pay only when the money is recovered — then pay for all the past years together. Maliki: pay once, when it is recovered. The Islamic Fiqh Academy (Jeddah, 1985) view is to pay yearly if the borrower is solvent. If recovery is doubtful, leave it out until it comes back.